Hello,

I have a question about MRTG (95th percentile)

Every month, billing is based on 95th percentile.

Does/should the graph reset every month or should it continue on?

I have a server at HE.net, and it shows the transfer rate at the bottom of the graph. The transfer rate doesn't reset, so I suspect it is continuous until you cancel your account.

<For the below, I just use only two months for example>
Assume I am at 100kbps at the end of the month of 1st month. If I turn off the server and don't use any bandwidth for the next month. I suspect I will be billed around 100kbps for the next month, since it is continuous. It looks like it is 95th percentile of the two months. If there is a third month and I still leave the server offline, it will be around 100Mbps of the three months. Overall, it is not month-by-month transfer rate (bandwidth), but continuous until you cancel your account.

Can someone help give me a better understading of this?

MRTG does not have any builtin support for 95th percentile computation; thus, the answer to your question depends entirely upon the extra code which is being used.

I have seen several graphs on MRTG, but he.net has 95th percentile computation on the graph. Cool!

cperciva is right, but basicly, the 2ed month would not be 100kbps. The transfer rate(average) which I assume you are talking about does change so if for 2 months, one month you use 100kbps, the next month you didnt use it, it would be 0, so the average wouldnt be 100kbps

Basicly, this is what the 95th percetile means. Lets use what you wrote.

2 months, there are

17200 5 minute slots

so then they knock off 5 percent of the high 5 minutes, so its 17200-864=16336

so then for those 16336 5 min slots, they take the average transfer and thats what you get billed.

Hmm, my reply was rather confusing. Let me try again:

95th percentile billing should be based only on the most recent month. Whether he.net's scripts get it right or not is anyone's guess.

Originally posted by cperciva
Hmm, my reply was rather confusing. Let me try again:

95th percentile billing should be based only on the most recent month. Whether he.net's scripts get it right or not is anyone's guess.

Do you mean...

For March, the 95th percentile is 100kbps. I should be billed for 100kbps. ( that should be right)

For April (next month), if I turn off the server and don't use any bandwidth for that month, then should I be billed for bandwidth for the month of April?

When i say month-by-month, I mean March is March and April is April. 95th pencentile of March is what I should be billed for. ( above example, which is 100kbps). 95th percentile of April is what I should be billed for. ( above example, which is 0kbps )

When I say continuous, I mean 95th percentile is continuous month after month until you cancel the account. Transfer rate (bandwidth) carries on month after month.

(everyone, feel free to jump in and help me understand this.)

If you don't use any bandwidth in any given month then you should be paying based on not using any bandwidth. Paying more in April because you used bandwidth in March would be... wierd.

Originally posted by davidb
cperciva is right, but basicly, the 2ed month would not be 100kbps. The transfer rate(average) which I assume you are talking about does change so if for 2 months, one month you use 100kbps, the next month you didnt use it, it would be 0, so the average wouldnt be 100kbps

Basicly, this is what the 95th percetile means. Lets use what you wrote.

2 months, there are

17200 5 minute slots

so then they knock off 5 percent of the high 5 minutes, so its 17200-864=16336

so then for those 16336 5 min slots, they take the average transfer and thats what you get billed.

According to what you said above, MRTG is measured continuously, not month-by-month, right?

yes and no

http://www.75megs.com/html/mrtg/r1.html

thats an example of a output of mrtg, mine has not been active in the last month, so its by 5 min, 30 min, 2 hour, year